Met police sets 2019 date for hearings into death of Sean Rigg

The family of a man who died in police custody a decade ago will have to wait until at least 2019 to see officers face a disciplinary hearing, the Guardian has learned.

Sean Rigg, 40, died 10 years ago on 21 August after restraint by officers in London. The Metropolitan police has decided five officers will face gross misconduct charges, but not until January 2019 at the earliest. An investigation by the police watchdog found police should face claims including use of excessive force.

Marcia Rigg, the sister of Sean, said she had given up hopes of justice but would continue fighting for answers as to why her brother died. “I have not been able to grieve properly, I can’t move on. I still have all this pain going on, I’m just trying to find closure,” she said. “I know I am not going to get justice, I just want accountability of some sort.”

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), had to use its legal powers to direct the Met police to bring some of the charges. It said the date of the hearing was a matter for the Met.